Self-supporting card



(No Model.)

B. T. GIBSON. SELF SUPPORTING GARD.:

NO. 580358. Patented Apr. 20, 1897.

Jim/3172271" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDW'ARD TINKHAM GIBSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SELF-SUPPORTING CARD.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 580,858, dated April 20, 1897.

Application filed November 21,1696. Serial N0- 612,966. 116 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD TINKHAM GIBSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Self-Supporting Cards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in cards or blanks which are provided with means for supporting the card or blank in an upright position, which means may be folded to admit of the article being packed for shipping; and the object of the invention.

is to provide for the cards or blanks a support which Will involve such slight additional expense that manufacturers of advertising and picture cards may provide these articles with supports and supply them to purchasers for very little more than the price now charged for cards without supports.

My invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereunto annexed.

I11 the drawings, Figure 1 is an anterior or face view of a continuous blank of card-paper or tin provided with die-cut and creased lines and shows my invention as it appears when flat. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the blank shown in Fig. 1 held erect by the supporting portion. Fig. 3 is a face view of my invention in the flat, as shown in Fig. 1, but slightly differing from it in that the creased lines are carried to the top of the blank to admit of its being of thinner paper than could be employed if the lateral margins of the blank were not thus stiffened when the blank was erected. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of Fig. 3 erected. Fig. 5 is an end View of Fig. 3 erected. Fig. 6 is a front view of a disk-shaped card and support. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of Fig. 6 erected.

Like letters of reference designate correspondin g parts in all the figures of the drawlngs.

My invention is made of one continuous blank of card-paper or light sheet metal, which is divided by creasedlines C and O and die-cut lines D and D, so as to form two main portions-namely, an upper portion A, on the anterior surface of which is placed a picture, representation, or printed matter, and a lower portion which, when its section B is bent backward on the creased line C to nearly a right angle with the surface of the portion A and its section B similarly bent on the creased line C, serves to support the portionAin an upright position. WVhile this rearward bending of the supporting-sections B and B serves to overcome any tendency on the part of the blank to topple backward, any tendency to topple forward may be guarded against, when thought desirable, by providing the supporting-sections B and B with extensions and b, which will project forward of the front surface of the body of the blank when the said sections are bent backward, as just described, on the creased lines. (See Fig. 2.)

An examination of Figs. 1 and 3 will show that in one respect they dilfer-that is to say, in Fig. 3 the creased lines 0 and C extend from the outer extremities of the die-cut lines D to near the top of the portion A. The ob ject of this is to admit of my support being employed in connection with pictures or other matter printed on paper which without this bending of its lateral margins would not be sufliciently stiff to be held in an upright position.

My invention is applicable to all kinds of picture and advertising cards of paper or thin sheet metal, photographs, picture supplements for newspapers, and the like.

In describing my invention I have saidthat certain lines are cut by a die; but it must be understood that in some instances-particularly in the case of picture supplements for newspapersI shall merely indicate the cuts and direct that they be made by scissors.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A self-supporting card comprising a central or display portion, two lateral marginal portions separated from the display portion by vertical creased lines on which they are bent forward at right anglesto the surface of the display portion, and two separate and equal horizontal portions out free from the lower margin of the display portion but left continuous at their outer extremities with the bodies of the said lateral marginal portions in order that the said forward bending of the lateral marginal portions may occasion a rearward projection of these attached horizontal portions as herein described and for the purpose specified.

EDWARD TINKHAM GIBSON. Vitnesses: H. B. OARLIsLE, F. H. OHAPIN. 

